Saint Brigid's Falls: The Chapel

Author

File Description

Jayhawk

Posted on 01/18/02 @ 12:00 AM

File Details

Map Size:

300x300 (Medium)

Difficulty:

Hard

Minimap:

Saint Brigid's Falls: The Chapel is the first of a series of five linked scenarios following the history and growth of the hamlet of Saint Brigid's Falls. In this first chapter, you will be asked to build a chapel next to the well created when Saint Brigid prayed here for water and a tavern to keep the pilgrims happy.

NOTE: Even though these games are labelled as Invasion maps, they concentrate at least as much, if not more on the Economic challenges.

Tips:

- There are wild animals around, both on two and on four legs.
- Working with speed can be useful.

Very well balanced scenario with some interesting twists and bends. Use your killing pits well and life will be very much easier !!

JayhawkStaffFile Author

Posted on 01/29/02 @ 12:00 AM

Hi Phrozen, can you tell me what made you rate the Playability only 3?
Thanks!

shadowjump

Posted on 02/10/02 @ 12:00 AM

Rating

5.0

Breakdown

Playability

5.0

Balance

5.0

Creativity

5.0

Map Design

5.0

Story/Instructions

5.0

Great map. I had to start over twice, but kept at it until I could defend the samll hill. Great balance between invasion and economic goals.

thurdl01

Posted on 02/18/02 @ 12:00 AM

Rating

4.8

Breakdown

Playability

4.0

Balance

5.0

Creativity

5.0

Map Design

5.0

Story/Instructions

5.0

First things first, I'm going to light Jayhawk on fire, and just laugh for a few moments.

HAHAHAHAH! MUAHAHAHAHA! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Alright, I feel better.

Great start to the series, and leaves one wanting to return to this little hamlet where the walls are all wood, gates don't exist, and Jayhawk is a little Mr Pyromaniac with his Fire-In-The-Town events that kept hitting the densest portion of my town (which also happened to be my bread production area)!! Enough "argh-factor" to keep me playing, without so much that I punched out of the game in disgust (as I sometimes do with an economic mission). The description is right, this is as much, or maybe slightly more economy than it is military, but be wary of the occasional advances from the signposts, and keep that military industrial complex up, or your town will soon be quite over run.

Oh, and you might want to set up an asbestos mine somewhere.

Lord Malibar

Posted on 02/26/02 @ 12:00 AM

Rating

4.2

Breakdown

Playability

3.0

Balance

3.0

Creativity

5.0

Map Design

5.0

Story/Instructions

5.0

Overall, this is an above average scenario.

PLAYABILITY: When you start, the scenario requires a lot of hands on play. By the midway point; however, you are basically just waiting for the quarries to produce enough stone to buy your way to the economic and religious victory conditions. There was also a quirk in that you are allowed to make leather, but have no way to use it. It seems weird to have tanners about when there is no market for their craft. Similarly, you have blacksmiths available but no way to get iron. Ore is plentiful on the map, but you can't build iron mines and can't buy ore either. If mines didn't exist, why would blacksmiths?

BALANCE: After the 2nd-3rd invasion, subsequent bandit attacks don't even achieve "nuisance" status. Referring back to PLAYABILITY, after the third invasion, the game loses all military challenge. From that point on, you trade stone for gold, hops, etc so you can complete your victory requirements. Any new invasions are handily defeated with no input from you if you have any semblence of credible perimeter set up. The scenario could stand some stronger invasions as it advances. As it stands now, it progressively gets more and more out of balance with time.

CREATIVITY: The map itself is very creative. There is a lot of detail here not seen on other maps. The story and overall concept of game play are likewise innovative.

MAP DESIGN: The large amount of small detail makes this map a "5".

STORY/INSTRUCTIONS: Excellent story/instructions. Well written with a good setup for the scenario.

The risk of fire seemed the greatest hazard, but it is easily managed. I kept waiting for a big invasion towards the end game, but none ever came.

As I said in the opening: an above average scenario. It opens strong, but leaves you wanting a stronger challenge as you progress.

LordDresden

Posted on 03/21/02 @ 12:00 AM

Rating

4.2

Breakdown

Playability

4.0

Balance

4.0

Creativity

4.0

Map Design

5.0

Story/Instructions

4.0

This was a very well planned and enjoyable scenario. I found everything to be balanced out nicely and would recommend it to other players.

Bonus marks were added to both playability and balance for the set up of the invasions. I have noticed that many of the authors tend to have to harsh an attack near the beginning of their scenarios. This one, although you are invaded early, does not make it a threat to your very survival from the outset. Nicely planned.

Addionally to the above the balance of the map scored a bonus for the same reason. As you venture further into the scenario, you will encounter tougher attacks. That is how I would expect to see invasions set up. Wolves and bears are not a real threat, but you should try to remove them early on.

The story line is very good and the map design adds to the creativity of the over all story.

I enjoyed the design of the map completely. Although there may be a few tiling flaws that could be deducted, I do not see any half point ratings allowed so I will stay with a 5 on this area of the rating.

Very well written story, and should make for an interesting and enjoyable series of maps.

Dianna125

Posted on 04/10/03 @ 12:00 AM

Rating

4.2

Breakdown

Playability

4.0

Balance

5.0

Creativity

4.0

Map Design

4.0

Story/Instructions

4.0

I enjoyed playing this map. It offered a great balance of economic and military thinking, and keep my on my toes the entire time. I had to re-start it a few times in order to get things going correctly, and this offered a nice level of difficulty. I like the layout of the map and found the multiple signposts to be a challenge. I look forward to playing the other maps in this storyline.
Dianna

NAT

Posted on 01/25/04 @ 12:00 AM

Rating

4.4

Breakdown

Playability

5.0

Balance

4.0

Creativity

5.0

Map Design

4.0

Story/Instructions

4.0

This is good fun scenario to play and I really enjoyed it although it was quite easy as you could build up a large economy around the Falls. Very playable - lots of wood so growth is not a problem. A bit too easy for me - I simply built up a large economy and as I had double rations on I was able to manage everything easily. Still good fun, perhaps bigger invasions would have made me concentrate more on defence. This map is very creative - I love the setting of St Brigids Falls - although the surrounding map design is rather crude in places - make it a bit more flowing. Certainly not bad though and as I have said a good setting for an invasion. Good storyline, enough for a 4 - creative and well written. Overall a really good invasion which I really enjoyed playing. Good Work!